Social Media Marketing: Is it right for you?

Most people know or have at least heard about social and new media. For the benefit of those who've been under a rock for the past year or two, here are some definitions to guide you:

Social Media: Are software tools that allow users to generate and exchange content. For example, blogs, twitter, myspace, facebook etc.

New Media: It's a general used to describe non-traditional ways of delivering (advertising or promotion) messages. For example, DVD, youtube, v-casts, podcasts etc.

NOTE: Social media and new media have become so intertwined that all references to social media can be assumed to include new media.

Now, social/New media is the latest craze in marketing in these days of web 2.0. Everyone seems to have an opinion about how to make it work for you, and there are many self professed "experts" out there who are more than willing to help you implement some stratergies -- for a fee of course. The question however remains: should you be using these new marketing tools? The short answer to this questions is a resounding YES! And I'll tell you why if you care to read a little bit more.

There are lots of facts and studies out there, backed be some really reputable sources, that will tell you that times have changed-- the balance of power has now shifted from organizations and their marketers, to consumers. This basically means that organizations no longer call the shots. I'm not one of those reputable sources (so I'd encourage you to do your own research on the issue), but I can point to a couple of scenarios to suggest that this assertion is probaly true. For example, when was the last time you bought an item just because you saw an ad for it? Versus, when was the last time you bought an item after you saw an ad for it and consulted some message boards or talked to a friend who had used the item or read a blog about it OR all 3? The point is, people no longer care what organizations say about themselves or their products. People care about what OTHER people say about organizations and their products, and that's where social media comes in handy.

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